Fidgeting To Success
Some of us just can’t stop moving, including me. When I was in school it was horrible. “Sit still” were the kindest of many words I heard from teachers at wit’s end about what to do with me.
There I was, a smart kid with little control over a short attention span and unlimited energy. I was often told to sit in the front of the room so the teacher could watch over me. The front, the worst possible place since I learn and remember best when watching from a distance. When put in the front my foot tapping ramped up and my eyes and mind wandered continuously. And let’s not even get into being sent home or whacked on the butt with a big wooden paddle…with holes drilled in it for maximum impact.
These traits are with me still. Some part of me is always moving and I get bored rapidly. Really rapidly.
New research by Julie Schweitzer, professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at the MIND Institute at the University of California, indicates that when kids like I was are allowed to move around they perform better…much better. Moving improves their alertness and attention.
How novel. The possibility of taking the needs of the customer into account rather than setting everything up for one’s own ease and comfort.
On the other hand, for those who don’t exhibit short attention spans and the need for continuous motion, fidgeting reduces their performance. Clever schools and teachers are now adeveloping ways to allow those who need movement to move without bothering those sitting still. The result? All students do better.
It’s a case of research and actions based on the research finally catching up with what I have always known. Different kids have different ways of learning and to perform their best they need to be accommodated in different ways.
One size does not fit all. Neither in the classroom nor in the workplace.
As I got older, I learned to find jobs and do things where continuous movement and a short attention span were a benefit rather than a detriment. I travel all the time, work with a wide variety of clients, often stand in the back of the room, and continuously walk around my office…or anywhere else I happen to be. When I speak, no podium for me. I wander around the stage with my body marking the words. It helps me think.
I have no idea what percentage of people are like me but there certainly are lots of us. Even within this group, there is great variance. Some more active, some less. Some with shorter attention spans, some with longer.
Even though there is a whole industry dedicated to discovering and explaining all these different styles people have and what they mean, so many companies still take a one size fits all approach.. Lucky people work in the companies that are paying attention…
My nephew works for Microsoft. He is some sort of technology genius who sits in a room and designs things we’ll be using some day in the future. He has more focus and sitability than I can fathom. One time I asked him if he was looking to get into management. He looked at me in horror and let me know that Microsoft had a career path where he never had to manage anyone and yet could advance in rank and pay, the same as those who transition into management. The smile on his face lit up the room.
